LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
From: Richard Small, R. H. Brooke, Sir Denis Brogan, Mervyn Jones, Tom Driberg, MP, H. B. Isherwood, H. W. Behnore, Harry Henry, Dudley G. Davies, Sir Eric Ashby and others, John Heath- Stubbs, John Lehmann, P. &railer, Daphne Fielding.
The Race Bill
SIR,—Legislation in other countries making racial discrimination an offence to be dealt with by the criminal courts has proved unsuccessful and some- times harmful. The Government Bill seeks to deal with the question in the same unsatisfactory way. In New York and Ontario, Canada, for example, legislation similar to the Government's Bill was first introduced. It proved so unworkable that twenty years ago the legislation was amended so that in- fringements of the law were brought before specially appointed commissions. It was realised that the purely punitive orders of a criminal court did nothing to alleviate racial discrimination. If any- thing they aggravated it.
Further, criminal procedure requires that in every case the police force is exposed either to the hostility of some people over prosecutions which are being brought, or to the complaints of others that allegations of discrimination are not being investi- gated.
In contrast to the Government's proposals, there has been genefal support for the appointment of special statutory commissions aimed at concilia- tion rather than punishment, which would not ex- pose the police to the inevitable anger of sections of the community, and which would encourage an atmosphere more conducive to the removal of racial tensions. In every instance this kind of legislation has worked. Whatever the motive of the Govern- ment, it is quite clear that the legislation they hope to enact is almost certain to aggravate an already delicate racial situation. And if this happens, this unsatisfactory Bill will become an argument in support of the claim that legislation is not a suitable way of dealing with racial discrimination.
RICHARD SMALL
Campaign Against Racial Discrimination, 23 St. George's House, Gunihorpe Street, E7
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